| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Review |
Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas (T.A.N., T.B., K.W.C.)
Tulane Center of Cardiovascular Health, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana (G.B.)
Address correspondence to: Theresa A. Nicklas, DrPH, LN, Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: tnicklas{at}bcm.tmc.edu.
Obesity among children has reached epidemic proportions. Today, an estimated one in four children in the United States is overweight, while 11% are obese. Children who are overweight tend to remain so up to 20 years of age; in general, they have a 1.5- to twofold higher risk for becoming overweight as adults. The prevalence of overweight has increased approximately twofold in the 20-year period from 1974 to 1994, with the largest increases observed among 19- to 24-year-olds. The annual increases in weight and obesity that occurred from 1983 to 1994 were 50% higher than those from 1973 to 1982. Overweight youth are 2.4 times as likely to have a high serum total cholesterol level, and 43.5 times as likely to have three cardiovascular risk factors. Although the total energy intake of children has remained the same, and the macronutrient density of the diet has changed, the percentage of energy from fat has decreased, while that from carbohydrates and protein has increased. Children have been consuming lower amounts of fats/oils, vegetables/soups, breads/grains, mixed meats, desserts, candy, and eggs, and increasing amounts of fruits/fruit juices, beverages, poultry, snacks, condiments, and cheese. Changes in specific eating patterns may explain the increase in adiposity among children; e.g., increases have occurred in the number of meals eaten at restaurants, food availability, portion sizes, snacking and meal-skipping. Successful prevention and treatment of obesity in childhood could reduce the adult incidence of cardiovascular disease. Because substantial weight loss is difficult to maintain, the prevention of obesity by promoting healthier lifestyles should be one of our highest priorities in the new millennium.
Key words: obesity, diet, dietary fat, dietary carbohydrate, dietary protein, body-mass index
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  I. Cetin, C. Berti, and S. Calabrese Role of micronutrients in the periconceptional period Hum. Reprod. Update, June 30, 2009; (2009) dmp025v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Swaminathan, T. Thomas, A.V. Kurpad, and M. Vaz Perceptions of healthy eating: A qualitative study of school-going children in South India Health Education Journal, June 1, 2009; 68(2): 94 - 110. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. S. Gidding, A. H. Lichtenstein, M. S. Faith, A. Karpyn, J. A. Mennella, B. Popkin, J. Rowe, L. Van Horn, and L. Whitsel Implementing American Heart Association Pediatric and Adult Nutrition Guidelines: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Council on Cardiovascular Nursing, Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, and Council for High Blood Pressure Research Circulation, March 3, 2009; 119(8): 1161 - 1175. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. J. Cutler, A. Flood, P. Hannan, and D. Neumark-Sztainer Major Patterns of Dietary Intake in Adolescents and Their Stability over Time J. Nutr., February 1, 2009; 139(2): 323 - 328. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. L. Mongraw-Chaffin, B. A. Cohn, R. D. Cohen, and R. E. Christianson Maternal Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and Caffeine Consumption during Pregnancy in Relation to a Son's Risk of Persistent Cryptorchidism: A Prospective Study in the Child Health and Development Studies Cohort, 1959-1967 Am. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2008; 167(3): 257 - 261. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Desai, J. Babu, and M. G. Ross Programmed metabolic syndrome: prenatal undernutrition and postweaning overnutrition Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, December 1, 2007; 293(6): R2306 - R2314. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. F. Krebs, J. H. Himes, D. Jacobson, T. A. Nicklas, P. Guilday, and D. Styne Assessment of Child and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity Pediatrics, December 1, 2007; 120(Supplement_4): S193 - S228. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Cottone, V. Sabino, T. R. Nagy, D. V. Coscina, and E. P. Zorrilla Feeding microstructure in diet-induced obesity susceptible versus resistant rats: central effects of urocortin 2 J. Physiol., September 1, 2007; 583(2): 487 - 504. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. C. Schenkel, N. K.A. Stockman, J. N. Brown, and A. M. Duncan Evaluation of Energy, Nutrient and Dietary Fiber Intakes of Adolescent Males J. Am. Coll. Nutr., June 1, 2007; 26(3): 264 - 271. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J.-H. Kim and S. J. Lennon Mass Media and Self-Esteem, Body Image, and Eating Disorder Tendencies Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, January 1, 2007; 25(1): 3 - 23. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. A. Cayce, D. P. Krowchuk, S. R. Feldman, F. T. Camacho, R. Balkrishnan, and A. B. Fleischer Healthcare Utilization for Acute and Chronic Diseases of Young, School-age Children in the Rural and Non-rural Setting Clinical Pediatrics, July 1, 2005; 44(6): 491 - 498. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. M. Klurfeld RESPONSE: SNACK FOODS, OBESITY AND REALISTIC RECOMMENDATIONS J. Am. Coll. Nutr., June 1, 2005; 24(3): 156 - 157. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. S. Berkey, H. R. H. Rockett, W. C. Willett, and G. A. Colditz Milk, Dairy Fat, Dietary Calcium, and Weight Gain: A Longitudinal Study of Adolescents Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, June 1, 2005; 159(6): 543 - 550. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Demory-Luce Fast Food and Children and Adolescents: Implications for Practitioners Clinical Pediatrics, May 1, 2005; 44(4): 279 - 288. [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 W. Kiess, A. Bottner, S. Bluher, K. Raile, A. Galler, and T. M. Kapellen Type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents--the beginning of a renal catastrophe? Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., November 1, 2004; 19(11): 2693 - 2696. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Kreier, A. Yilmaz, A. Kalsbeek, J. A. Romijn, H. P. Sauerwein, E. Fliers, and R. M. Buijs Hypothesis: Shifting the Equilibrium From Activity to Food Leads to Autonomic Unbalance and the Metabolic Syndrome Diabetes, November 1, 2003; 52(11): 2652 - 2656. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
